Creativehub and Printful are two of the biggest players in the print-on-demand game.
They both let artists, entrepreneurs, and online store owners create and sell products without having to hold any inventory. But the way they go about it is worlds apart.
After spending some quality time testing and digging into how both platforms work – including pricing, integrations, print quality, and their target audience – here’s the lowdown:
- Creativehub is a top pick if you’re a visual artist looking to sell gallery-quality art prints, especially through Shopify.
- On the other hand, Printful is a better fit for e-commerce entrepreneurs who want to build a full catalog of apparel, homeware, and accessories.
In this head-to-head comparison, I’ll break down how Creativehub stacks up against Printful, so you can decide which one fits your business goals.
The Quick Verdict: Creativehub vs Printful
| Feature | Winner |
| Product Variety | Printful |
| Print Quality | Creativehub |
| Pricing & Margins | Creativehub |
| Branding Options | Printful |
| Multichannel Selling | Printful |
| Best For Artists | Creativehub |
| Best For Ecommerce | Printful |
My Verdict:
If you’re laser-focused on selling top-notch art prints with a level of quality that would put a museum to shame, Creativehub is your top pick.
If you want to build a full-fledged e-commerce brand selling everything from t-shirts to pillows, take a hard look at Printful.
The Quick Comparison Table
Here’s a snapshot of the core differences: a quick side-by-side look at the major differences between these two platforms.
| Feature | Creativehub | Printful |
| Product Focus | Fine art prints only | Apparel, homeware, accessories, prints |
| Target Audience | Artists and photographers | Ecommerce sellers and brand builders |
| Product Quality | Archival giclée prints | Standard POD quality |
| Store Integration | Shopify only | Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Amazon, etc. |
| Branding Capabilities | White-label only | Labels, pack-ins, custom branding |
| Fulfillment Speed | 48 hours average | 2–5 business days |
| Locations | UK (ships globally) | Global fulfillment centers |
| Pricing Flexibility | Full control over pricing | Margins depend on base cost + branding |
Best for Product Range: Printful
You can’t argue with the numbers: Printful wins hands-down when it comes to product variety.
Creativehub sticks to what it does best: fine art prints and framing options. That’s perfect if you’re a visual artist or photographer, but if you want to sell the whole range of products – like t-shirts, mugs, or even pillows – you’re out of luck.
In contrast, Printful has an incredible 400+ products – everything from:
- T-shirts and hoodies
- Hats and beanies
- Mugs, tote bags, and phone cases
- Canvas and poster prints
- Pillows, blankets, and other home goods
That makes Printful a better bet if you’re looking to scale a product line beyond art.
| Product Category | Creativehub | Printful |
| T-Shirts | ❌ | ✅ |
| Hoodies | ❌ | ✅ |
| Framed Prints | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stickers | ❌ | ✅ |
| Mugs | ❌ | ✅ |
| Art Paper Options | ✅ | ❌ |
Creativehub keeps things nice and simple with a focused product line aimed at visual artists. Printful, on the other hand, offers a much broader catalog – making it a better choice if you’re looking to expand beyond art into apparel, accessories, or branded merchandise.
Best for Print Quality: Creativehub
Creativehub is the clear winner when it comes to print quality – especially if you’re a serious artist selling limited editions or high-end fine art.
Here’s why:
- Uses top-notch giclée printing – a fine art standard
- Offers archival paper from brands like Hahnemühle and Canson
- Long-lasting pigment inks with superior color depth
- High consistency and attention to detail
Printful’s prints are good enough for casual buyers, but they’re not ideal for collectors or art professionals.
Posters and canvas prints are printed using standard POD equipment – fine for decor, but they don’t compare to Creativehub’s pro-grade finish.
If print quality is as important to you as the art itself, go with Creativehub.
Best for Pricing & Margins: Creativehub
Creativehub lets you set your own prices and keep 100% of the markup – minus the print and shipping costs. There are no monthly fees or hidden charges.
Printful’s pricing is a bit more complicated. Each product has a base cost, and branding options come with extra fees that can eat into your profit margins quickly.
Example:
| Product | Creativehub Price | Printful Price |
| A4 Unframed Art Print | $11.50 | $9.95 |
| Framed A4 Print | $40.00 | $34.00 |
| Hoodie | Not available | $22.00 |
| T-Shirt | Not available | $13.25 |
Creativehub also doesn’t hit you with any transaction fees – Printful’s charges can creep up on you depending on the ecommerce platform and payment gateway you’re using.
The Best Store Integration Option: Printful
If you plan on selling all across the different platforms, Printful is probably the better choice.
Now Creativehub does integrate with Shopify in a super smooth way but thats about it – you’re stuck with one channel for all your sales.
Printful integrates with:
- Shopify – and it’s a breeze to set up
- Etsy – another popular platform to get your products on
- WooCommerce – for WordPress users
- Squarespace – for a more design-focused ecommerce setup
- Wix – for a website builder and ecommerce store
- BigCommerce – an ecommerce platform with a lot of features
- Amazon – because who doesn’t want to sell on Amazon
- eBay – another major player in the ecommerce world
Giving you way more flexibility to test the different channels and scale up when you need to.
Tip: Your business doesn’t have to be limited to just one platform – you can split your catalog and try out different platforms to see what works best for you:
- Sell your art prints on Shopify + Creativehub
- Sell your apparel and lifestyle items on Etsy + Printful
The Best Option for Building a Brand: Printful
Creativehub’s packaging is just plain white-label, which is fine for art brands that like to keep things simple but if you are trying to build up a recognisable brand then Printful gives you way more options:
- Custom labels (inside and outside of the packages)
- Pack-ins (like thank-you cards or little coupons)
- Branded packing slips
- And even warehousing services so you can have totally custom packaging
These little details matter when you’re building up a brand that people love.
| Branding Option | Creativehub | Printful |
| White-label packaging | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom labels | ❌ | ✅ |
| Inserts | ❌ | ✅ |
| Warehousing | ❌ | ✅ |
Creativehub sends out fairly plain white-label packaging which is not a bad thing for art brands that like to keep things simple.
But if you’re building a more immersive brand experience with custom labels or inserts then Printful gives you way more control over how your products are presented.
The Best Shipping & Fulfillment Option: It’s a Draw
Both platforms offer solid shipping and fulfillment – but with different approaches.
Creativehub:
- Prints and ships from the UK
- 48-hour average fulfillment time
- Global tracked shipping
- Great for artists based in Europe or selling world-wide
Printful:
- Fulfillment centers around the world (US, Canada, EU, Mexico, Japan)
- 2–5 business day fulfillment time
- Faster shipping for North America
- Can do local production to reduce delivery times
If you’re mostly selling to customers in the US then Printful is probably going to be the better option when it comes to shipping.
The Best Option for Support & User Experience: It’s a Tie
Both platforms have good resources – but the level of support differs.
Creativehub Support:
- Online help articles
- Email support
- Community resources for artists
- Really simple UI focused on art prints
Printful Support:
- 24/7 live chat – because no one wants to sit around waiting for support
- Help centre, guides and tutorials
- Product mockups and order dashboard
- A bit more complex UI but also more features
Creativehub is probably easier to set up because it’s so simple. Printful on the other hand offers more tools – but also a bit of a learning curve.
The Final Verdict: Creativehub vs Printful
| Use Case | Best Platform |
| Selling fine art prints | Creativehub |
| Selling apparel and accessories | Printful |
| Custom packaging and branding | Printful |
| Global fulfillment | Printful |
| Artists using Shopify only | Creativehub |
| Selling on Etsy or Amazon | Printful |
My Recommendation:
Go with Creativehub if:
- You are a visual artist or photographer
- Print quality is super important
- You only plan to sell on Shopify
- You want full pricing control
Go with Printful if:
- You want to build a full ecommerce brand
- You need to stock a variety of products (clothing, accessories etc.)
- You want the option to sell on multiple platforms
If your business is a mix of art and merch then there’s no rule against using both platforms.
In fact, that’s what I do for some of my clients – Creativehub handles the fine art prints, while Printful powers the apparel and accessory side of the store.
